Stephen Kekule’s paintings use the built environment as a backdrop to narrative landscapes. This characteristic is a direct result of his education in drafting and architecture, a career in construction, and a lifelong interest in mythology and storytelling. The paintings are typically modeled from his photographic studies. After preliminary computer adjustments to a photo, he sketches the image with only the basic shapes; eliminating the superfluous information reveals the aspect of the scene which prompted the original photo-taking. Once the key elements are established, he adds the necessary components to enhance the theme and balance the painting’s structure. Kekule says, “I employ Precisionism techniques in my method; however, the work aspires to the tenet of Japanese Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.”

Stephen Kekule lives in the Portland, Oregon area and exhibits regularly throughout the Pacific Northwest. His work is held in public art archives and private collections.